Novijen Sages

Creature — Human Advisor Mutant

Graft 4 (This creature enters the battlefield with four +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature onto it.)

{1}, Remove two +1/+1 counters from among creatures you control: Draw a card.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (45)

LeoSushi on

4 years ago

I've been honing a marchesa deck for about a year, and the best cards I can suggest are the graft creatures you can run. Vigean Graftmage , Cytoplast Manipulator , and Novijen Sages are the best 3 (They keep counters on important things, and protect your commander). In the modular build specifically, some fantastic cards to consider are Treasure Keeper , Marionette Master , and Throne of Geth . I'd also highly suggest running some low-cost sac outlets to make sure nothing goes to waste Carrion Feeder , Viscera Seer , Goblin Bombardment , and Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer are the best ones lowest on the curve.

Milesfuzz on The Wild Hunt

4 years ago

Helium Squirter , Novijen Sages and Vigean Graftmage have all been overperformers in past Marchesa builds for me. Enter play with counters and can also distribute counters onto other creatures as needed.

saint5one on Cheesa and the board that never goes away

5 years ago

Hi Multimedia, Thanks a lot for all the feedback! :)

I have been looking a bit on Sage of Fables and I can see the benefits, however, I don't it is worth as it would primarily only work for Marchesa unless I put in other wizards as you mention. A card i have been debating to include is Novijen Sages as i get the counter on my creatures and has the same draw effect! the reason im not sure about that one is the CMC cost. - But do you think Sage of Fables is worth to include without the other Wizards?

Trophy Mage looks pretty amazing, especially if i can get counter on her and keep using her ETB to also get talisman's etc. - I do have a brainstorm lying around i might include, and as you point out i have been missing quite a few land drops with this deck so far so might be a good idea :)

I have considered the Signet, and the reason i picked Talismans instead is that they can help me get my health low to benefit from dethrone, and i might think that having both signets and talismans i a bit too much? maybe add some more lands instead?

Thanks for your tips on manabase! this is were i struggle the most.. I do have all the bounce lands i think, but haven't included them as i never saw anyone else play them at my LGS, so i figured they weren't good - but will include them thanks :) and thanks for the other lands suggestions! they are way more affordable than shock lands etc.

Farel on Newbie needs help getting into …

5 years ago

I can't deny that Merfolk and their philosophy did fit me quite well. I overall like combo mechanics, powering up, and things like that.

Also, I wish to say that I do own some more rare cards, which could potentially be helpful for future upgrades of whichever deck I'd get: - Hinterland Harbor - Temple Garden - Clifftop Retreat - Azusa, Lost but Seeking - Myojin of Infinite Rage - Scion of the Wild - Earth Surge - Novijen Sages - Sensei's Divining Top

Is there anything out there for me? Some pre-made commander? Is there anything out there that I could potentially create with my cards? Is there something that I could build towards?

Gattison on Atraxa Precon- Budget improvements (Need Help)

5 years ago

Hey there, I have +1/+1 counters-themed Atraxa deck as well, and I don't like to expensive cards for deckbuilding, so I might have some suggestions for you.

Firstly, Stubborn Denial is excellent in EDH.

You might like one or more of the following: Ring of Kalonia, Ring of Xathrid, Ring of Evos Isle, Ring of Thune.

Currently Thrummingbird just looks like removal-bait. It's too small to last long, so nobody will ever let it hit them most of the time. You'd need to add at least 7 or so card like Rogue's Passage to make it a reliable effect. Or buff up the bird in some way. This is why I went with a voltron strategy for my version. Anyway, long story short, I'd swap it out for Chromatic Lantern.

Other counters-synergy cards: Elite Scaleguard, Hindervines, Novijen Sages, Crowned Ceratok.

I think you should swap the three-color ETB-tapped lands for either the remaining Vivid lands.

Hope that helps! Enjoy Atraxing things. =)

ZendikariWol on For the Vicious Swarm - Ezuri Counter EDH

5 years ago

You're missing a few big heckin cards.

Cephalid Constable is miraculously underrated, Drumhunter is a personal howling mine AND a mana dork, Elvish Visionary draws a card, Experiment One and Pelt Collector are excellent one-drops, Fertilid is awesome repeatable ramp, Forgotten Ancient is bat-shit insane with four players, Gilder Bairn is both adorable and quite functional, Glen Elendra Archmage is a repeatable negate, Kalonian Hydra is hilarious (and it's a 0/0 so I think you can trigger Ezuri's ability before his ETB), Kaseto, Orochi Archmage is a powerhouse, Managorger Hydra get too big too quickly for most opponents to handle, Novijen Sages is a nice draw engine, Permeating Mass is fantastic in this deck, Pir, Imaginative Rascal and Toothy, Imaginary Friend are such a good combo, Plaxcaster Frogling is great protection, Scavenging Ooze is awesome (Meren is in my meta, idk about you), Seedborn Muse is good anywhere, Simic Manipulator leads to fun shenanigans, Sporeback Troll, also good protection, Tuskguard Captain is perfect evasion, Ulvenwald Tracker is about as good as green removal gets, and Wild Beastmaster is another Cultivator of Blades, but a little less for a little less mana. Rishkar's Expertise and Soul's Majesty are a couple gems, Bred for the Hunt, Doubling Season, and Hadana's Climb  ^Flip are great for countered up dudes, Rhystic Study, which should honestly go in every blue EDH deck, Cloudstone Curio it's better than Panharmonicon in this, Strionic Resonator is also probably better than Panharmonicon here. Also a Thran Dynamo might do ya good in the mana department.

WhatevWorks on almost abzan counters

5 years ago

So the think that jumps out at me is there's 1 thing that can draw cards. This is an issue. A commander deck usually needs about 7-17 things that can draw cards, or you'll run out of hand and be left hoping to topdeck whatever you need at the moment. There are plenty of cards that work overtime, fitting the +1/+1 counter theme and drawing cards at the same time: - Fathom Mage - Bred for the Hunt - Armorcraft Judge - Bloodtracker - Implement of Ferocity - Inspiring Call - Lorescale Coatl, if you want to lean further into this whole draw thing - Mindless Automaton - Novijen Sages - Prime Speaker Zegana - Toothy, Imaginary Friend

These are all suggestions. I don't know what your budget or meta is. Good luck with the deck.

Shinwizzles on Marchesa, the Black Rose EDH: Steal Yo Gurl!

5 years ago

mtgftw2014, thanks for the compliment and suggestions! Marchesa, the Black Rose is probably one of my favorite Grixis commanders. Her ability is super unique, and her colors make her a perfect commander for innumerable underhanded tactics.

While I do think that Graft is a neat mechanic, there aren't many cards to choose from that would really benefit the deck. There are four that I can think of that are blue, and they'd either let me untap a creature (Vigean Graftmage), draw a card (Novijen Sages), give someone flying (Helium Squirter), or steal a creature (Cytoplast Manipulator). To be honest, I've been on the fence about Cytoplast Manipulator for some time now. Seems to me like that is the only Graft card that would benefit the deck, as well as fit the theme. I think I may have to find a slot for that one. I can see how Graft could be conditionally useful in some specific boardwipe situations, but I don't see myself running into those situations often. Getting the +1/+1 counters back on my dudes post-resurrection isn't too much of an issue, especially if I have something to ensure the Dethrone trigger like Unspeakable Symbol, Treasonous Ogre, Phyrexian Reclamation, or Greed.

I'm also afraid that Graft doesn't work quite as you'd hoped though. Marchesa, the Black Rose's ability looks for the +1/+1 counter on the creature as it dies. If we remove that last counter, the creature will become a 0/0 and it'll die without returning.

As for Coffin Queen/Hell's Caretaker, I think I'll have to find a place for Coffin Queen in the deck. I prefer the Coffin Queen since she doesn't discriminate between my graveyard and my opponents'. Hell's Caretaker is a little too restrictive with the requirements as well. I'd need only to either flicker or resurrect (via Marchesa, the Black Rose's ability) the stolen creature in order to keep it and use the Coffin Queen's ability again. I like that.

Thanks again for the suggestions! Looks like I have some updates to make!